


Got Milk?

by Boogum



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Minor Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Minor Sokka/Suki, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27044350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boogum/pseuds/Boogum
Summary: Sharing an apartment is hard when your flatmates are Aang and Toph. Lucky for Zuko, he has nice neighbours who are always happy to help out in a pinch.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 8
Kudos: 95





	Got Milk?

**Author's Note:**

> Biorn, i am so so sorry I took a million years to write this for you. this is like the latest birthday gift ever. But i still really wanted to do this for you, even though I will say now that modern day atla isn't my comfort zone hjhkghj. I hope you enjoy this!

"What happened to my milk?" Zuko walks into the living area and waves a bottle of milk that has the barest trickle inside. It's like someone intentionally left the pitiful drop in there just to taunt him.

Aang leans back on his cushion so that he's looking at Zuko upside down. Chirpy music can be heard from his handheld gaming device, which Momo keeps trying to paw at, hoping to catch one of the falling moon peaches on the screen. "Oh, that," Aang says, and then smiles. "The Duke came over for a bit, and he and Toph had a milk drinking competition."

Zuko's fingers tighten on the bottle handles. "With my milk."

"Yeah."

"The milk I bought yesterday."

Aang pauses, looks pensive. "Why do I feel like you're leading me into a trap?"

Zuko closes his eyes and exhales smoke through his nose.

"Uh-oh, dragon alert." Aang flips to his feet. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm mad! I bought that milk yesterday and those idiots have drunk it all, and now I'll have to buy more—"

"Toph did say she'd replace it."

"She always says that! Just like she always says she'll clean when it's her turn or that she'll unclog her gross hair from the shower or that she'll stop eating my food. And does she?"

"To be fair," Aang says, "she is blind."

"That doesn't stop her from metalbending statues in perfect replicas of herself all over the apartment. I even found one in my closet."

Aang snickers. "Oh yeah, I remember that. I don't think I've ever heard you scream that high."

Zuko glowers, folding his arms. "My point is she's a terrible flatmate and—"

"And what?" Toph says. She's chewing gum and leaning against the doorway to her room, which adjoins the living area. Her eyes stare in his vague direction, but her smile is razor-sharp in challenge.

Zuko purses his lips. "And you should try to be a better one."

"Or what? You'll kick me out, your dear cousin in everything but blood?"

"No, but I'll tell Uncle what you've been doing and he'll be very disappointed in you."

She chews her gum, looks defiant for all of five seconds, and then she huffs and steps away from the doorway. "Fine, I'll stop taking your food. But I'm not buying more milk right now. I'll do it tomorrow."

"But—"

"Just ask next door if you can borrow some of theirs."

Zuko's heart does a little skip flutter. Ask Katara and Suki?

Toph grins. "Might as well. I know you've been looking for an excuse to talk to Katara again and—"

"I have not!" he exclaims, his cheeks hot.

He still looks in the mirror to make sure he has no food stuck in his teeth before he embarks on his mission to the apartment next door. No need to repeat the spinach incident.

oOo

Katara and Suki's apartment is always tidier than the one he shares with Toph and Aang. Zuko keeps his space neat, but Aang is a constant ball of chaos, Momo leaves fur everywhere, and Toph seems to delight in seeing what it would take to get them all kicked out. (Strangely, earthbending a hole in the wall was not enough. Or maybe Uncle just used a lot of money to soothe ruffled feathers.)

Next door, in comparison, is like a zen zone. No dishes with encrusted food left lying around. No Toph statues. No new Momo "presents" to be discovered, or what's left of them. Everything is clean and, better yet, usually quiet. Sometimes he's tempted to ask if he can move in with them, but they already have a third flatmate—an older woman named June who he's never met. He's not sure he could ever really betray Toph and Aang like that anyway, even if he sometimes wants to throw them out the window.

"Huh?" Suki says, leading him inside, half trying to shush Sokka at the same time. (She's on a video call with him, and he keeps asking if that was Zuko's voice he'd heard.) "You want to what?"

"Borrow some—"

"It is Zuko!" Sokka says, bundled up in furs and grinning from the tablet screen. "Oi, you jerk, you didn't respond to my message."

Suki gives him a fond eyeroll. "I swear I'm gonna mute you."

"Sorry, babe. I'll be quiet now." He mimes sealing his mouth shut.

Zuko smiles. He will never, ever admit it aloud, but these two are basically couple goals for him. (Of course, as Toph loves to point out, he can have all the goals he likes, but it'll mean nothing if he can't get a girlfriend.)

He explains the situation, along with why he has to ask since he doesn't want them to think he's some milk hungus who plans to scrounge off them all the time.

"I'm all out," Suki says, "but Katara's got some. You'll have to ask her. She's in the shower at the moment, but she'll be out soon. Do you wanna wait?"

"Sure."

He settles on a cushion and is quickly dragged into conversation with Sokka. They'd become quick friends during Sokka's visits, partly because Aang likes to make friends with everyone, and partly because Sokka is Sokka and there's really no escaping him. (Zuko hadn't really wanted to escape him, though.) It's just too bad Sokka lives in the Southern Water Tribe. Doesn't seem like he plans on moving to Ba Sing Se any time soon either.

"Been training the boys to prepare for their ice dodging ceremonies," Sokka says, puffing his chest out. "I reckon they're all gonna pass."

"Oh, yeah?" Zuko says. "When's the first ceremony?"

"In eight years."

Zuko blinks.

Suki laughs and shifts to sit cross-legged. "So, basically you're looking after the babies."

"Well, yes, but it's a very prestigious position!"

"Uh-huh," Zuko says. "Bet you only stay in the shallows as well."

"What would you know, fire brains? The only ice you see in your nation are the little ice cubes in your beach cocktail."

Zuko cracks up laughing, his eyes crinkling. It's to this scene that Katara enters the room. His laughter trails off and he swallows. She's dressed in pyjamas, feet stuffed into platypus bear slippers. His heart flutters like its sprouted wings and is trying to do some of Ty Lee's special somersaults.

He really is such a goner.

Suki elbows him in the gut. "Ask her."

Right. He needs to make words.

Zuko scrambles to his feet and approaches Katara. "Hey," he says.

"Hey," she says, smiling. "What's up?"

"Milk."

She blinks.

He resists the urge to face palm. Okay, he needs to make more words than that.

"Toph drank all mine for a dumb milk-drinking competition with her friend." He rubs the base of his neck. "I, um, was wondering if I could borrow some of yours. Just for tonight," he hastily adds.

"Sure."

He lets out a breath as she heads for the fridge. He hates the fact he's so awkward around her now. It was never like this in the beginning. Sure, he always relaxes in the end and can even banter with her as normal. But every time he sees her these days it's like his brain malfunctions.

His phone _tings_ in his pocket. Frowning, he tugs it out to read the message on the screen.

-

 **so car:** A+ performance

 **so car:** brought etars to my eyes

 **so car:** btw when u gonna aks her out outon a date coward?

-

Zuko glares at the tablet Suki is holding up, which shows Sokka's grinning face. Sokka gives a double thumbs up. Suki is grinning just as broadly and gives a much more surreptitious thumbs up.

Ugh. This is why Zuko hates coming over here these days. So embarrassing.

Katara comes back into the living area and hands him the milk bottle. "Here."

"I'll bring it back."

She laughs. "I know you will."

A more natural smile curves his lips. "Thanks for this."

"No problem. It's just milk."

Zuko stands there awkwardly. "Right."

_Ting!_

-

 **so car:** you're killing me bro. just ask her out

 **so car:** please

 **so car:** also ngl Suki says Eyebrows McSmug has been showing interest in her

 **so car:** and id rather have u dating my sister

-

Wow. Real flattering.

Zuko shoves his phone in his pocket and rubs the base of his neck, glancing at her under his eyelashes. "Um, by the way …"

"Yes?" she says quickly. She bites her lip and tucks a strand of damp hair behind her ear. "I mean, uh, do you need something else?"

"No …" His cheeks heat. "But I was wondering if you wanted to study together in the library tomorrow?"

Wrinkles form on her brow. "We're doing different majors."

"I know." He shrugs. "Just if you wanted. We could get coffee—"

"Yes!"

He blinks. "Okay. Okay, great. I'll message you."

"Okay."

They smile at each other, then he makes his awkward retreat back to his own apartment.

_Ting!_

-

 **so car:** dude that was so painful

 **so car:** but at least u finally did it. Now suki and I can collect our ten copper pieces from the others.

 **so car:** gonna be rich hjhakghsjk

 **Me:** you had a bet going on?

 **so car:** why are u even surprised at this point?

-

Zuko rolls his eyes. He starts typing into his phone.

-

 **Me:** so what what the bet

 **so car:** Toph thought u were too chicken to ask her out tonight

 **so car:** aang didn't think u liked her at all

 **so car:** Suki and I obviously bet you were gonna do it tonight

 **so car:** oh and your uncle thought you'd do it over the sunmner

 **Me:** uncle was in on this?

 **so car:** again. why are you surprised at this point?

-

Zuko bites back a laugh. These idiots. They really will never change. He supposes he should stop being surprised by their antics. (And, if he is to be honest, he wouldn't want them to change anyway.)

**Author's Note:**

> “Hungus” is New Zealand slang for someone who is basically hungry all the time or eats all the food. So like if you were having pizza with your mates and one of them was eating all the slices, you’d be like “stop being such a hungus, bro” — as in leave some for us. 
> 
> I wanted to use the word because nothing else had quite the same flair and I was tired okay hdhfhgfh


End file.
